“I see myself as a sensitive, intelligent human being, but the soul of a clown.”
Val Kilmer
Introduction
The loss of Val Kilmer at the age of 65 after a battle with throat cancer and pneumonia is a devastating loss for Hollywood and film lovers. Anyone who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s will remember him in movies like Top Gun, Willow, The Doors, True Romance, Tombstone, Batman Forever and Top Gun: Maverick. Kilmer described his life as “magical”: 80% sweat and 20% inspiration. Displaying his prestigious talent as a child actor in a film shot by his brother Wesley, Val lied to his parents that he could only get an audition at Juilliard; he had to travel to New York. He was only 16 and in an acting school where he learned how to learn. He looked for challenges anywhere he could find them. When the role was more challenging, he knew he had to work hard, which satisfied him. Losing his brother, Wesley, early in life made him very spiritual. Wesley drowned in a jacuzzi at the age of 15 after suffering from epilepsy. A lifelong Christian Scientist, he chose the path to go up in life. He was a method actor who believed in repetition to succeed. Described by Oprah Winfrey as “intense” and a “perfectionist”, Kilmer admitted that he would blow at the most crucial moment. An actor who considered his best film to be Tombstone, someone who admired Marlon Brando and George C. Scott, and had a wealth of friends, including Tom Cruise.
A Master Class
Val will be remembered for his generosity. He came to his father’s aid when he faced financial ruin, an act of kindness for which his father, Eugene, was eternally grateful. It is a reminder that there was a gentle soul behind the screen icon, a life of fast cars, a lavish lifestyle, and a man who dated Cindy Crawford, Angelina Jolie, Carly Simon and Cher. The man who regretted never playing Hamlet on Broadway succeeded with arrogance by breaking through to the other side, taking significant risks by marching on in his eccentric style. Someone whose children, friends and an inspiring story made him smile. A lifetime diarist and creator, he was once asked what he would like done with his archive of work, to which he replied, “Burn it or give it to a library.” In his 2020 memoir entitled I’m Your Huckleberry, he gave a poignant quote about his faith.
“I have never lost my faith in what seems to me to be materialism that leads nowhere—nowhere of value, anyway. I have never met a super-wealthy person for whom money obviated any basic challenges of finding happiness in the material world.”
Like the mythical Icarus, he probably flew too close to the sun at times, but the wax on his wings never entirely melted. He had that unique power to rejuvenate himself in his work despite his heartache from women and his vice of smoking, which ultimately led to a devastating diagnosis of throat cancer and a raspy voice. His grandfather’s life inspired the man who appeared in over 50 films.
“[My grandfather, a mountain man/prospector in the New Mexico wilderness] adhered to a sacred code that everyone is connected and responsible for each other in the wilds. You do whatever your neighbor needs at whatever cost to you—a bit more than just bringing over a pie when a neighbor moves in. It’s a beautiful way of living. I have both offered and received this remarkable kindness from people for all the decades I have lived in the New Mexico wilderness. You are valued by what you do, not who you are or how many cars (or backhoes) you own.”
An actor who became the character he played. The character went through him and was him. Pieces of the character and he merged, and the excitement was extraordinary. A man who lived a clean life while playing Jim Morrison, jogging ten miles a day to gain absolute clarity from Jim’s cloudy mind. Kilmer believed that if you had enough faith, you could take the long view and remember that things will work out — destiny takes over. His prayer was his true treatment during his cancer treatment, and he believed that chemotherapy and radiotherapy had a detrimental effect on him, causing his suffering. This brilliant actor will be sorely missed.
